Challenges, including cyberbullying and substance abuse, face King County youths
October 25, 2011
King County children and teenagers face risks from underage drinking, substance abuse, cyberbullying and other challenges, human services experts told County Council members Oct. 10.
The council — meeting as the Committee of the Whole — listened to presentations about possible threats to young people.
“To hear what young people are going through in our communities in a real wake-up call,” council Vice Chairwoman Jane Hague said in a statement issued after the meeting. “These issues aren’t isolated to a specific area of King County. Even affluent areas have their own set of risk factors.”
Youth Eastside Services Executive Director Patti Skelton-McGougan discussed problems related to suicide, gangs and cyberbullying in Eastside communities.
Brady William Westendorf
October 25, 2011
Brady Westendorf
Brian and Amy Westendorf welcomed son Brady William to their Newcastle home Sept. 26, 2011.
Brady was born at Valley Medical Center, in Renton, weighing 8 pounds, 2 ounces and measuring 20.75 inches.
He joins brother Ian Thomas, 22 months.
Dance drama offers lesson about rules, rule breakers
October 25, 2011
Lee Xie Skyline High School
It was the subject of school gossip. Upperclassmen, lowerclassmen, guys, girls — the students of Skyline High School filled the halls with buzz surrounding the potential cancellation of homecoming.
Eventually, the Associated Student Body was able to secure the dance for the Spartans after all, with some conditions involved. But just like that, A Knight for a Princess really did turn into an evening of happily ever after.
However, now that the dance is over and done with, students may forget what prompted the near-cancellation to begin with. To clear things up with the hopes of learning information that can help Skyliners avoid such a problem in the future, I sat down with our principal, Lisa Hechtman, to discuss school policies and how they fit into Skyline.
When the news of homecoming’s possible cancellation first hit, students immediately pointed fingers at Hechtman and her “strict” policies. However, when I asked her what the goals behind her policies were, she clarified, “School boards set policies. Rules and procedures will mirror district policies, but I don’t make the rules themselves. What everyone is trying to accomplish is to help students become honorable, thinking, skillful citizens.”
Skyline takes KingCo regular-season soccer title
October 25, 2011
The Skyline High School girls soccer team gets close wins and blowouts. But the one thing the Spartans have been consistent about for many years is just winning.
Skyline captured the KingCo Conference 4A regular-season title for the second straight year Oct. 20 with a 1-0 victory against visiting Woodinville.
With the victory, Skyline went to 8-0-1 in league play and 12-0-2 overall.
Jordan Branch’s goal at the 38th minute was just enough for the Spartans, who wrapped up their regular season Oct. 25 at Redmond.
The shutout was the second of the week for goalkeeper Tina Vargas. The Spartans have seven shutouts for the season.
Prior to last week, the Spartans had been trailing Issaquah in the KingCo standings. However, Skyline moved into first place Oct. 18 with a 4-0 victory against the visiting Eagles.
King County bans unwanted door-to-door solicitation
October 25, 2011
Residents in rural and unincorporated King County gained a tool to discourage door-to-door solicitors due to a recent County Council decision.
If a resident posts a “No Soliciting” or “No Trespassing” sign on his or her property, then a commercial solicitor is prohibited from contacting the resident. Under the ordinance, violators face a $100 fine.
The regulation adopted by the council Oct. 3 applies to more than 300,000 residents in unincorporated areas.
Press Editorial
October 25, 2011
I-1125 is not the right answer for tolls
Initiative 1125 is one of those ballot measures that does so much more than put limits on what can and cannot be done with gas taxes and toll revenues. It’s one more initiative that screams, “We don’t trust our elected representatives to run the state!”
We get that sentiment, and encourage voters to hold their representatives accountable.
Tim Eyman’s I-1125 ballot measure is supposedly about reinforcing laws already on the books. It makes assumptions that the Legislature has run amok, bending rules on road tolls and taxes. It covers state bids and contracts for vessel dry-docks and goes on to specify that there will be no tollbooths. And then it slips in a little wiggle that stops light rail from expanding across Lake Washington via Interstate 90.
I-1125 limits road tolls to funding of a project — only.
Cougar Mountain ranks among United States’ top trail-running locations
October 25, 2011
Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park is among the 25 best places for trail running in the United States.
Runner’s World magazine named the Issaquah Alps peak to the list in a recent issue.
“Every urban area should be blessed with a trail running sanctuary as sublime as Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park,” the magazine noted.
Skyline volleyball team rallies to top Eastlake
October 25, 2011
Halle Erdahl, Skyline junior outside hitter, reaches as she spikes the ball over the net during the second set against Eastlake on Oct. 18. By Christopher Huber
Skyline High School sophomore Emily Anne Owen was on a roll from the serving line Oct. 18 against Eastlake.
Serving on 12- and 11-point runs in the third and fourth sets, Owen, a libero and defensive specialist, helped the Skyline girls volleyball team improve to 6-2 in league play after beating the Eastlake Wolves, 3-1, in the second-to-last regular-season match.
“I felt pretty good. Everybody kept the ball in play,” Owen said. “It felt really good to pull through and get the win.”
The Spartans overcame a first-set loss — Eastlake won it 25-23 — and relied on steady serving from Owen and consistent combination strikes from outside hitters Maddie Magee, a senior, and Halle Erdahl, a junior. Even though it had its fair share of comebacks and streaks, Eastlake went to 3-5 in KingCo Conference 4A and 5-7 overall.
The Wolves got out to a hot start, beating the Spartans by two in the first. After Skyline got out to a quick 10-4 start in the second, Eastlake came back and tied it at 16 apiece, thanks in part to kills from junior Anna Gorman. Skyline scored quick points and started to get Eastlake playing on its heels. It won the second set, 25-20, and easily won the third set, 25-11.
Off the Press
October 25, 2011
David Hayes Press reporter
Halloween is a time for terrifying tales
Halloween remains one of those rare observances throughout the year where we still pay homage to the event’s pagan origins.
Some of our fondest memories come from Hell Night (thank you, Detroit, for that colloquialism).
Before I share mine, I thought I’d let some of my coworkers recount their favorite Halloween ghost story.
Sports Editor Bob Taylor enjoys digging up from his memory archives a yarn memorable not for its creep factor, but for its pleasantly surprising ending.
When he was 10, it seems Bob had this particular school bus driver who was independently wealthy, and as far as Bob could tell, only drove the bus to antagonize kids.
The Hot List
October 25, 2011
Kim Bussing Issaquah High School
Movie: ‘Footloose’
A remake of the cult classic, “Footloose” once again hits theaters as the iconic story of a town where dancing is outlawed and new kid Ren MacCormack challenges the music ban and strikes up a forbidden romance. Replacing Kevin Bacon as the main character (Ren) is Kenny Wormald; Dennis Quaid takes on the role of the Rev. Shaw Moore, and Julianne Hough plays Ariel, the reverend’s rebellious daughter and Ren’s love interest. An upbeat soundtrack accompanies the movie and features Zac Brown, Cee Lo Green and Victoria Justice.
Book: ‘Steve Jobs,’ by Walter Isaacson
In remembrance of one of the most notable American figures, Walter Isaacson’s “Steve Jobs” produces an honest and riveting look into Jobs’ life. Comprised of several years’ worth of interviews from Jobs and his family, friends and colleagues, the biography pries beneath the superficial knowledge of Jobs’ imagination and innovativeness to examine the personal demons and desires that contributed to his success. The author, Isaacson, has been widely recognized due to his books about Benjamin Franklin and Albert Einstein.
